Doctoral Dissertation Awards and New Investigator Awards
2006 Doctoral Dissertation Abstracts
Yragui, Nanette
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 Sam Jackson Park Road
Portland, OR 97239
E-mail: yraguin@ohsu.edu
Project Title: Disparities at work: Intimate Violence Survivors and Work-related Outcomes
Project Period: 9/1/2006 – 8/31/2007
It is well documented that survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) face significant health, social and economic consequences. Given the scope and toll of IPV on survivors and society, empirically supported interventions are greatly needed. The scientific knowledge base regarding interventions to prevent IPV and reduce its negative impact is still developing, but the complex etiology and social ecology of intimate partner violence suggests that a range of interventions in diverse, non-traditional settings such as the workplace are needed to prevent IPV and to minimize its negative
consequences.
The proposed study will examine workplace support match congruency in relationships between abused women and their supervisors. Specific Aim 1: To determine if the woman's race/ethnicity, supervisor race/ethnicity, woman/supervisor race/ethnicity match, supervisor gender and workplace gender composition are associated with the match between type of social support an abused woman wants and receives from her supervisor. Specific Aim 2: To determine if the match between the type of social support the woman wants and receives from her supervisor is associated to work-related outcomes (e.g. hours
worked, voluntary turnover, job termination, withdrawal behaviors) through examining:
A cross-sectional survey will be administered in face-to-face interviews with 100 employed, abused women. Regression analyses will demonstrate the relative contribution of supervisor support match, general supervisor support, relationship quality and demographic variables on abused women's work-related outcomes of hours worked in the past year, voluntary turnover, job termination and work withdrawal. These analyses will inform the development of a workplace intervention targeted at supervisors that will include a culturally sensitive component for Latinas. Results will be interpreted in light
of theory on social support, supervisor support and leader-member exchange.
Chauhan, Preeti
University of Virginia
Department of Psychology
PC Box 4004.00
102 Gilmer Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22904-440
Email: pcBk@virginia.edu
Project Title: Female Juvenile Offenders: Differentiating Mechanisms of Violence Risk by Race
Project Period: 9/1/2006 – 8/31/2007
The recent rise in female perpetrated violence has prompted empirical scrutiny by researchers and policy Makers in an effort to inform interventions and prevention programs. Even though female offenders still comprise a smaller percentage of juvenile arrests relative to male offenders, they utilize a disproportionate number of resources within the justice and social service systems. Furthermore, the well-documented racial disparities that exist in the broader criminal justice system (i.e. an over-representation of African-Americans
Relative to Caucasians) also exist with female juvenile offenders. However, little is known regarding the differential mechanisms, particularly the psychosocial risk factors, which lead to antisocial behavior in African American and Caucasians girls.
The proposed study moves beyond treating female offenders as a Homogenous grouping an effort to extrapolate race-based differences in responses to the same risk factors. Specifically, we will examine whether exposure to past violence—both as a witness or a victim—predicts Perpetration of future violence, and whether this pathway functions differently among African Americans and Caucasians. The proposed study utilizes longitudinal data from an in-depth study on violent adolescent female offenders. Wave I data were collected from every girl in the state of Virginia who was sentenced to secure
custody during an 18 month (June, 2003 to November, 2004) time period. Wave II data collection is current underway; interviews are being conducted with girls who have been released from secure custody for a minimum of 6 months. Waves I and II consists of a comprehensive assessment of victimization, violence observation, and aggression, as well as violence perpetration using a multi-informant, multi-method research design. The proposed study will utilize both Waves of data and examine whether a differential risk response exists between African American (n = 67) and Caucasian (n = 53) female
offenders.
The aims of the study are to: (1) document the prevalence, chronicity, and form of violence exposure among African-American and Caucasian juvenile female offenders; (2) assess race-specific interactive pathways between witnessing and experiencing violence over time; and (3) examine race-specific risk models on future violence perpetration as predicted by previous violence exposure. Investigating the differential responses that lead to antisocial behavior is necessary to elucidate the appropriate interventions. The implications of these findings are particularly pertinent to the public health
system which serves these high risk females.
Fung, Michelle T.
University of Southern California
Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) 501
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061
Email: mfung@usc.eclu
Project Title: Understanding Psychopathy in a Multi-Ethnic Sample of Male and Female Adolescents
Project Period: 9/1/2006 – 8/31/2007
Importance: Psychopathy is associated with severe and frequent violence and antisocial behavior, but little is known about its structure and validity in youth. Even less is known about psychopathy in females, a group at substantial risk for aggression and violence.
Objectives: The proposed study will examine psychopathy in a multi ethnic sample of maltreated and comparison adolescents in Los Angeles (LA), and increase fundamental knowledge about this important risk factor for violence, particularly among young females. Specific Aims: 1a) To delineate the factor structure of psychopathy [as measured by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001 )] in this sample; 1b) To test the invariance of the resultant factor model across gender, ethnic and maltreatment group 2) To examine the cross-informant validity of the APS via multi-trait,
multi-method approaches; and 3) To investigate the relationship between APSD psychopathy and aggression, conduct problems, and delinquency.
Major Hypotheses: 1) a 3-factor structure: will best characterize the APSD; 2) the APSD will show on invariance across gender; 3) when examined separately in males and females, the APSD will show cross-informant validity; and 4) broadly, psychopathy will be significantly positively related to aggression conduct problems and delinquency.
Study Design: The proposed study utilizes data collected at the 3rd time point of the USC Young Adolescent Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of the impact of neglect on development (Dr. Penelope Trickett, PI).
Participants: A study group (N=303) was recruited from substantiated maltreatment reports to the LA Department of Child and Family Services within 10 zip codes in urban LA. A comparison group (N=151) was recruited from schools in the same 10 zip codes. Mean age at study entry was 10.9 years (SD=1.15), and comprised 53% male, 39% Latino, 37% African American, 12% White and 12% mixed/ biracial participants. Data is also collected from caretakers and teachers.
Measures: APSD scores will be correlated with scores on the Aggressiveness/ Bullying and Delinquent Misbehavior subscales of the parent and self-report Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; see Noll et al., in preparation), the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire (Raine et al., in press), and the self-report Adolescent Delinquency Questionnaire (see Huizinga& Morse, 1986).
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